CVS Reef-Safe Sunscreen

CVS Is Committing to Becoming More Reef Safe With a New Initiative

CVS just announced that it'll be removing the ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate from over 60 of the brand's sunscreens under SPF 50 by 2020. The ingredients have been found to be toxic to coral reefs and other marine life, causing states with beaches like Florida and Hawaii to ban products with the ingredients. Considering how much marine life relies on these ecosystems, we're glad to hear this brand is making moves in the right direction to preserve them.

If that wasn't enough to convince you to make the switch, the FDA has determined that more testing is needed to verify the safety of these ingredients but restated that the other common ingredients, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, are effective and safe for all to use. According to a spokesperson for the brand, the ingredients are necessary for an SPF of 50 or higher, so CVS has decided to keep those in stock for anyone who may want to use those products.